Bleacher Report - Articles by Scott Rivers

Phillip Fulmer and the Tennessee Volunteers: Surviving the Fat One

Scott Rivers — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:45:19 -0500

After a 16-plus year tenure as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, the relationship between Phillip Fulmer and the Vols is officially over, signaling the end of an era for the SEC’s perennial powerhouse team.

Fulmer’s illustrious career as Vols head coach ended on a sour note after a crushing defeat to SC, 27-6. The once-proud SEC squad now boasts a pitiful 3-6 record, leaving the team one loss away from a guaranteed losing season record.

It’s been a long and exciting ride, one that brought Tennessee back to national prominence, highlighted by an undefeated national championship season in 1998 that was the culmination of a magical four-year stretch that saw the Vols go 45-5.

Fulmer was always regarded as a top recruiter, the man who landed Manning (Peyton), and a conscious coach that showed his players a lot of patience—a tactic that likely played a central role in his fall from grace.

Over the past decade as Fulmer’s fortune has faltered, he has been unable to recruit a reliable QB, he has stuck to his guns stubbornly calling offensive schemes that his detractors called predictable at best, he has relied on a trademark smashmouth defense to try to win games, and he has successfully alienated his core fanbase by committing the unforgivable sin: losing.

As sad as the end of his tenure might look, it is probably in the best interests of the team. The team is still regarded as a prime program, and a change of head coach should give the program a good selling point for prospective recruits that presently were dissuaded by the free-fall the team has been in the past years despite its prominent national profile.

As the Fat One (Fulmer’s nickname) prepares to part ways with the Vols, Nashville is all gossip and talk as the list of prospective coaches is quickly forming.

The names on the table:

Ron Zook

Lane Kiffin

Mike Leach

Butch Davis

Steve Spurrier

Brian Kelly

Will Muschamp

Tim Brewster

Jon Gruden

Personally I am rooting for Jon Gruden. I think the match is perfect both ways. College would give Jon Gruden a chance at coaching a plausible national champion, something he will not be able to do in TB anytime in the near future.

Tennessee would get a proven winner, a household name coming straight from the NFL with a ring, who would immediately attract prospective recruits. It would also be a good match for Tennessee’s playing style to recruit a coach known for his aggressive defensive tactics.

BetSportsWeb.com, a leading online sportsbook based out of Costa Rica, has come up with odds on who will replace Fulmer.

Ron Zook 5/1

Lane Kiffin 10/1

Mike Leach 3/1

Butch Davis 15/1

Steve Spurrier 20/1

Brian Kelly 7/1

Will Muschamp 4/1

Tim Brewster 5/1

Jon Gruden 2/1

Other 1/5

NBA Season Preview

Scott Rivers — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:49:09 -0400

The 2008-2009 regular season is right at our doorsteps. A closer look at this year's contenders and pretenders gives us many interesting subplots:

Will this Be the Year Kobe Finally Sheds Shaq’s Shadow and Wins One by Himself?

Kobe is widely considered the best player in the NBA, but he still carries a chip on shoulder as the naysayers continue to say he will never win a championship without Shaq.

The Lakers' management has finally surrounded him with enough talent to win a championship. Last year, the Grizzlies all but gave away Gasol in a present wrapping to the Lakers. That, coupled with the development of Bynum and the presence of Odom, should give the Lakers one of the most dominant front court presences in the NBA this season.

To round it all up, the Lakers are also stacked in a bench that features real contributors like Luke Walton, Chris Mihn, Jordan Farmar, Vladimir Radmanovic, and defensive specialist Trevor Ariza.

Predictions: First in the Pacific, first seed in the West, NBA Champions.

BetSportsWeb.com odds 3/1

Will this Be the Year LeBron Becomes the MVP?

The king is ready for his crown, and even if the NBA title eludes him this year, an MVP award could be in his near future. At the age of 23, LeBron is already starting his sixth season in the league, and he is playing in superb form. Last year he averaged 30 points, 7.2 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game.

The inclusion of Mo Williams should help push the Cavs' offense to a higher gear and should result in a mind blowing season for LeBron that should culminate in him lifting an MVP trophy.

Predictions: Second in the Central, fourth seed in the East, out in the second round.

BetSportsWeb.com odds 14/1

Does Shaq Still Have Anything Left in the Tank?

Shaq and Co. are aging, and showing it; this preseason has seen the Suns miss at least two of their starters every game. Last year, the Suns made a late-season gamble that brought Shaq to Phoenix in an apparent effort to beat the Spurs. Their gamble did not pay off, as they were ousted in the first round.

Shaq has put too much stress on his frame and logic dictates he will soon pay the price of the stress knees take from jumping with 320-plus pounds.

It is also unlikely this team will be any better than last year's rendition. This is a team where its super stars—with the exception of Stoudemire—are past their prime.

Predictions: Second in the Pacific, sixth seed in the West, out in the first round.

BetSportsWeb.com odds 16/1

Which Receiver Tandem is the Best in the NFL?

Scott Rivers — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:13:02 -0400

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has become known in the league as a gambler; a man known to hedge his bets on some of the league's most controversial figures.

The latest are the acquisition of Terrell Owens, the hiring of Adam “Pacman” Jones, and, most recently, trading four future draft picks—including a first- and third-round pick—for former first-round pick Roy Williams.

Jones could not resist the urge to hit on 12 and decided to increase his bets on the Cowboys' receiver corps. Only time will tell if it was a genius move or just another greedy mistake.

Logic contends that Williams lining up next to Owens will force teams to think twice before committing and extra man or two to T.O., thus improving Dallas's air attack. It sounds great in theory, but reality was nowhere near as magic during Sunday's game, when T.O. had two catches for 31 yards and Williams was shut out for the first time in his career.

The fact that Romo was sidelined and the archaic Brad Johnson (40 years old) was at the helm must have had something to do with it. Nevertheless, it was a lackluster start for a tandem that some believe has the potential to be one the most talented in the near future.

So where does that leave us? What is the best WR tandem in the NFL? Here are a couple of contenders for the title:

Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (Arizona Cardinals)

Kurt Warner continues to defy the odds as he propels the Cards to a respectable 4-2 record that has them sitting pretty as the No. 1 seed in the NFC West. The old gunslinger has had the benefit of counting on two of the most athletic WRs in the NFL.

Odds are, once Boldin returns from his injury and the power is back in sync, the Cards' trigger-happy offense has the potential to make them premier fantasy players this season.

Donald Driver and Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers)

As the dust of the Favre controversy settles, Aaron Rodgers is emerging as a premier QB in the League. He has shown great athleticism and a will to win. His receiver tandem is one of the finest in the league. They have the potential for more, especially if Rodgers recovers from his current ailments and is able to play anywhere near 100 percent.

Terrell Owens and Roy Williams (Dallas Cowboys)

If T.O. can shake his current funk, Williams adapts, Romo's pinkie heals, and he stays healthy, the Cowboys' tandem should be a force to be reckoned with. But the Cowboys appear to be carrying some kind of curse in recent years, and last I heard, Jessica Simpson was still dating Romo, so I'd say their chances for dominance are slim.

Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Cincinnati Bengals)

With a record of 0-7, an injured starting QB, and rumors of trades floating around, it seems the future is not too bright for this pair of elite wideouts.

Randy Moss and Wes Welker (New England Patriots)

After their devastating loss in the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots can do no right. They are proving just how bad they are with a certain individual named Tom Brady is on the sidelines.

BetSportsWeb.com, a leading online sportsbook based out of Costa Rica has come up with a list of propositions which of these tandems will have the last laugh and have the best stats in the 2008 regular season.

Which of the following NFL Tandems will record the most receiving yards in the 2008 season?

Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin	1.5/1
Donald Driver and Greg Jennings	2/1
Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh	3/1
Terrell Owens and Roy Williams	3/1
Randy Moss and Wes Welker	5/1

Note: If there is a tie, the tandem with the most TDs wins.

Note: All stats for the season count regardless of trades.

Lance Armstrong—The Return of the King

Scott Rivers — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:34:49 -0400

Lance Armstrong's competitive bug has gotten the best of him. It appears that after watching three unconvincing winners of the Tour de France grind out three unconvincing wins, Lance has decided that, at 37 years of age, he can still teach them how it's done.

The fact that he is making Jean-Marie Leblanc (Ex-Tour Director) and his band of merry Frenchmen aggravated comes as an added bonus for the feisty Texan.

Lance is tired of the hushed accusations and is determined to prove it was his heart, skill, and iron will that made him the winner he is.

Armstrong has decided to put his body and will to the test to silence France's sports daily L'Equipe and all others who have openly challenged his integrity as a competitor by continuously questioning his performances and raising the doping issue.

Holding true to the "Don't Mess with Texas" slogan, Lance has managed to put the cycling world in a catch 22. No matter what the outcome of his reinsertion into competitive cycling, they lose.

Here's a look at a couple of possible outcomes:

Lance returns and wins at 37, making current competitors appear soft and unworthy of being noticed as soon as he retires again; a group of young competitors who lack the talent and drive to defeat a man who, though not in his prime, thoroughly outdoes them.
Lance returns and is caught doping, cycling looses its biggest star, and an already disillusioned public becomes even more disenchanted with the sport.
L'Equipe is thrilled with the outcome and tells everyone "we told you so" in French.
Lance returns, attempts to compete, and fails miserably. His image as an unbeatable champion takes a hit, and currently dissatisfied cycling fans lose a shinning star and a legend and become even more apathetic to a sport that has lost most of its original luster.
So it appears that no matter what the outcome of his attempted return is we will see a lot more of Armstrong's grin in the paper over the next few months, while the head honchos of the sport fret about what the sport will become once the spotlight is off him and on them again.

As we await the result Cyclone Armstrong will have on the Pro Cycling world BetSportWeb.com is offering odds on what you believe will be the outcome of Lance's return:

Will any of the following occur as a result of Lance Armstrong's return:

He will win his eighth Tour de France.	5/1
He will be discovered doping*.	20/1
He will win the Tour by a margin greater than 10 min.	15/1
He will be forced to retire from the Tour due to exhaustion**.	15/1
He and Jean-Marie Leblanc will get into a fist fight on national TV	100/1
He will admit to dating Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.	20/1
He will not be allowed into France.	50/1
He will announce he is retiring on the podium of his eighth win.	1/2
He will race for the BetSportWeb.com cycling team.	1/50

*Wagers will not be graded till the doping is confirmed with a second test.

**Must start the Tour De France first.

Note: Results will be graded at the end of the '09 Tour race.

by Scott Rivers